


My Four Leafed Clover (I'm a Supernova)

by dressedupasmyself



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst and Humor, Caroline is trapped in the middle, Drama major!Caroline, Drinking, F/M, Family Drama, Klaus comes to stay, M/M, Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:06:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23655067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dressedupasmyself/pseuds/dressedupasmyself
Summary: It’s strange how one decision can take everything you thought your life would be and tumble it around until you barely even recognised who you were by the end.It’s equally strange, at least in Caroline’s opinion, how those changes are so delayed that you didn’t realise that you’ve made a life-tumbling decision until weeks, months, or even three and a half years after you’ve unwittingly stepped into life’s trap.Her decision happened to come in the form of allowing Bonnie and Elena to share the two-bedroom apartment she knew Bonnie had been drooling over for several years, while she selflessly found herself a different roommate.OrKol and Caroline are roommates, and they soon find themselves saddled with an unexpected house guest.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson, Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore, Kol Mikaelson/Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John
Comments: 14
Kudos: 45





	My Four Leafed Clover (I'm a Supernova)

**Author's Note:**

> Title take from the song 'Glitter and Crimson' by All Time Low.
> 
> I originally intended for this to be posted in one completed part, but I ran out of motivation halfway through. Please leave a comment to inspire me to finish it.

It’s strange how one decision can take everything you thought your life would be and tumble it around until you barely even recognised who you were by the end.

It’s equally strange, at least in Caroline’s opinion, how those changes are so delayed that you didn’t realise that you’ve made a life-tumbling decision until weeks, months, or even three and a half years after you’ve unwittingly stepped into life’s trap.

Her decision happened to come in the form of allowing Bonnie and Elena to share the two-bedroom apartment she knew Bonnie had been drooling over for several years, while she selflessly found herself a different roommate.

New York was a big place, and there were a lot of students like her who needed a roommate to share rent with. It was an unfortunate consequence of having two best friends. There would always be an odd one out, and after seven years, Caroline had grudgingly accepted that it would always end up being her.

It wasn’t that Bonnie or Elena did it on purpose. They always tried to include her, and she knew that they did love her. She also knew that sometimes her intensity and inability to tolerate half-assing, combined with her natural control-freak tendencies got on their nerves. In turn, it got on her nerves when they tried to convince her to accept mediocrity, and so Caroline was very much at peace with being the odd one out sometimes. Especially when it came to their living situations.

She found the ad on a noticeboard next to the Expressive Arts section of the library. It could barely even be considered an ad, really. A messy scroll across the back of a Chinese takeout menu let her know that Kol Mikaelson was in need of a roommate. She wouldn’t normally have paid any attention to such an obviously sketchy message, but it was the photograph he’d taped the note on that convinced her to at least call him.

“This is a little risky, even for you,” Stefan warned her when she showed the ad to him later that day.

“Which is why I waited to ask you about it before I just showed up with no backup,” she countered, taking a sip of her blueberry milkshake. The Drum was just off campus and had quickly become a regular hangout spot for their group of friends. Their milkshakes were to die for, and their fries hit the exact spot at two in the morning when they were coming back from a night out.

“And you’re considering this just because the house looks like a Victorian mansion?” Bonnie’s voice was slightly sceptic, even as she expertly manoeuvred her burger so she could take a clean bite.

“Come on guys, imagine if this somehow worked out. It’s within walking distance of campus, and I would be so aesthetically satisfied just from looking at my house that I wouldn’t have to constantly force you into joining decorating crews for campus events with me.”

Stefan and Bonnie shared a look, and Caroline knew they were thinking of their first year when they’d lived in the dorms with minimal creative freedom, and Caroline had rarely allowed them a weekend off. She sat back, satisfied that they would at least consider her plan. Plus, she was almost certain that Bonnie was still feeling guilty about picking Elena to room with her and would go great lengths out of her comfort zone to make it up to Caroline.

“What did you have in mind?” Stefan asked reluctantly.

“I just want to call him,” Caroline said. “Then if he doesn’t sound too creepy, we can meet him here or somewhere equally public, and you all can help me decide if Kol Mikaelson seems like a serial killer or just a slightly messy, easily manipulated drama major.”

“I don’t know, Caroline,” Bonnie said, still not completely on board. “What if we don’t realise that something is off, and you end up getting hurt?”

“I think you’re both being much too pessimistic,” Caroline stated. “I happen to think people deserve the benefit of the doubt, especially if they live in such beautiful apartments and don’t ask ridiculous rent.”

“You’re not meeting him without me there,” Stefan finally acquiesced. “And I want you to ask your mom to run a background check.”

Caroline grinned widely. “Great. I’ll call him right now.”

Their first meeting with Kol went as well as it could have. He sauntered into The Drum wearing blue skinny jeans and sunglasses, his hair swept into a dramatic wave that still somehow looked effortless.

He lifted his sunglasses onto his head, revealing blue eyes ringed with thick black liner, giving him an intense quality as those eyes swept the diner for blonde curls and a blue denim jacket, which was the description Caroline gave him.

Caroline waved at him from their table in the back and he wasted no time in making his way over to the table.

Stefan didn’t bother greeting him, only glaring with his arms folded over his chest. Elena was trying to hide her amusement at his tough-guy act behind her straw, but Bonnie seemed to share his sentiment as she let her eyes roam judgingly over Kol as he paused in front of them.

Caroline stood, determined not to let her friends ruin this for her.

“You must be Caroline,” Kol drawled, his British accent a surprise. “I wasn’t expecting a cavalry, but I suppose it makes sense.” He shot an amused glance at the unwelcoming table full of people.

“Well, you know how unreliable strange men on advertisements can be,” Caroline said with a smile. “They’re here to make sure I won’t be murdered in my sleep, and also that you don’t run a child trafficking business out of your beautiful basement.”

Kol’s lips quirked into a smirk as he turned to her friends. “If it’s any consolation, I’m quite gay, and I rarely spend any time at home. Your friend will be perfectly safe with me.”

“Do you want to sit down and let us decide that for ourselves?” Bonnie’s gaze was sharp, and the fact that Kol’s smirk faded probably gained him a few points in Bonnie’s books. She liked inspiring a healthy dose of fear.

Kol sat and the questions began. They found he was in fact majoring in creative writing instead of drama, and that he had too many siblings for his liking. He was from New Orleans and had moved there from England when he was fifteen. He was a year older than them and had previously shared his apartment with his oldest brother, who had completed his master’s degree the previous year.

It didn’t take long for everyone to warm to him, and Caroline watched with satisfaction as she imagined herself living and breathing and existing in such a beautiful place.

“Would you like to go take a look now?” Kol asked Caroline as Stefan went to settle their bill. He snuck a glance at his watch. “I have about an hour before I’m meeting a friend for dinner.”

“Sure!” Caroline immediately agreed. “I’ll see if Stefan will allow me out of his sight yet.”

Elena snickered. “I think I’ll trust your capable hands, Care. I’ll come check it out when you’ve moved in.” Elena had never been the scared, paranoid type, and Caroline appreciated it.

Bonnie seemed reluctant, but Elena was her ride home. Caroline rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

As expected, Stefan insisted on coming along.

“Just to see if the basement is clear,” he insisted, but Caroline didn’t miss the look he gave Kol behind his back.

It was a quick walk, and Caroline spent it discussing the importance of fashion in accurate characterisation with Kol. He was carefree and teasing in the best kind of way, but the intensity behind his eyes warned Caroline that he wasn’t someone to be underestimated.

“Here we are,” he finally said as they turned into an alley between two apartment buildings. “The original grounds belonged to my great great grandfather. It used to be an entire mansion with stables and servants’ quarters and the lot.”

He pushed open an iron gate. A narrow cobblestone path led the way, surrounded by trees. “My father renovated the entire place, dividing it into smaller apartments. He’s a massive dick, though, so he charges me rent.”

As they cleared the heavily forested area, the mansion finally came into view. It was more spectacular than Caroline could have even imagined. “How many people live here?”

“I’d imagine somewhere around twenty. I’m not a very neighbourly person, so I can’t give you an exact number.”

They made their way around the back, and Kol stopped to unlock a tall wooden door. He waved them inside, then stepped in after them.

Caroline was in love. It was a wide open space with a couch and two armchairs facing a television. She spotted two desks pushed against the far wall, one of which was covered in bits and pieces and a few coffee cups, as if Kol had been working there right before he left to meet them.

The kitchen was to her right. It looked suspiciously clean, and Caroline got the feeling that Kol might not use it very often. There was a staircase near the kitchen that lead to what looked like a loft.

“Your room would be this way.”

Kol led her through the living room to a door that he pushed open. Inside was a bare bed, a mirror and a lone rocking chair. It was smaller than her room back home, but she could see a view of the gardens through the window and she immediately had a million ideas for how she wanted to design it.

She turned to Stefan. “Please tell me you don’t object anymore?”

Stefan shrugged. “There seems to be a lot of neighbours close by, at least.” He glared at Kol. “And if she disappears, you’ll be the first suspect.”

Kol held up his hands in surrender. “I just want to save some money, mate. She’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, until the first time she gets on your back about the way you arrange your clothes on the washing line.” Stefan grinned. “But in that case, I wouldn’t even blame you.”

Caroline glared at him. “Don’t ruin this for me, you bastard.”

She moved in the next day, and never looked back.

***

“Three years of living with me and you still don’t offer to make me tea.” Caroline huffed, getting up from her very comfortable spot on the couch.

“Three years of you making your own tea and you still act like I’ve wronged you every time.” Kol sipped at his drink with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Some things will never change, sweetheart.”

Caroline bumped into him, hard, as she passed him. He jolted, spilling tea over the front of his shirt. He scowled at her.

“Bitch.”

She grinned smugly as she switched on the kettle. “It’s only fair, _sweetheart._ ”

Kol scoffed, but only made a half-hearted attempt at dabbing at the stain. “Do you have plans tonight?”

Caroline reached into the cupboard for her favourite green mug with purple stripes that Elena had gotten her for her birthday. “We’re having dinner at The Drum after class, and then I was planning on laying about in pyjamas shoving pizza down my throat. Why?”

Kol shifted his weight onto one socked leg and leaned forward so his elbows were braced on the counter. He looked utterly at ease, and Caroline was suddenly confronted with how much she’d grown to care for the eccentric man.

“It’s Enzo’s birthday. He requested karaoke, and you know how much I hate it if I don’t have my favourite duet partner at my side.”

Caroline shot him a curious glance as she reached for one of the hundred boxes of tea that Kol kept stocked on the counter. It was a bit of a hobby for him to discover the most outrageous flavours and bring them home. She indulged him, if only because there were a few gems between the wacky flavours that she favoured.

“Does Enzo know he’s not your favourite duet partner? I mean, it’s hardly his fault that he can’t reach my level of excellence, but he might have a few misconceptions about his status.”

Kol’s eyes narrowed. “There’s nothing going on between us.”

“Oh?” Caroline faked an innocent expression. “I imagine the two of you were rehearsing a very thorough battle scene last Saturday night in your bedroom, then.”

Kol straightened, and if he was at all less Kol, Caroline was sure he would have blushed.

“Fine, it’s a little complicated. Which is why I really need you there tonight.”

“Enzo’s a decent guy,” Caroline said, serious. “I’ve seen you be a major dick to guys before, so be honest with him if you don’t want anything to happen.” She filled her cup with water, breathing in the soft vanilla fragrance. Yum.

“I need to finish a paper before noon, but I will meet you at The Drum at six.” He picked up his cup and made to leave, then hovered with one foot on the staircase. “And don’t forget to go to the shop. It’s your turn.”

Caroline sighed as she stirred her drink. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Kol’s friends. They were just so different from her usual crowd, and she had to be in a specific mood to deal with them. Maybe Elena would go with her if Caroline could convince her that Damon might be there.

It was a commonly known fact (at least to Caroline) that Kol could never enter a room without being insanely dramatic about it.

He entered The Drum with the kind of sweeping look around that is usually associated with spies trying to act nonchalant at a gala event. Caroline rolled her eyes, and Bonnie gave her a curious look.

“What?”

“Kol’s here,” Caroline grumbled. She stuffed a single fry grumpily into her mouth.

“Why don’t you just tell him you don’t want to go?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to go,” Caroline explained. “It’s just that I was really looking forward to a night on the couch.”

“That sounds utterly boring.” Kol shoved himself in next to her in the booth, stealing three of her fries without blinking an eye.

“No, it sounds like a normal Monday night. Why aren’t you normal?”

Kol licked the salt from his fingers with a wink. “We wouldn’t have made it this long as roommates if I were normal, darling.”

Caroline scoffed and Bonnie nearly choked on her milkshake as she laughed.

Kol’s smile turned flirty as he turned to Bonnie. “Are you joining us for karaoke, Bonnie?”

Bonnie pasted such a fake sorry expression on her face that it was all Caroline could do not to smile. She was still grumpy and could under no circumstances be seen laughing.

“I can’t, I have a practical early tomorrow. I’m not risking burning down the entire school if I were to show up hung over.”

“That’s a pity.” Kol turned his entire body back to Caroline. “Are you almost ready? We’re heading to Damon’s for pre-drinks.”

“Fuck off, let me finish my dinner.” Caroline scowled, making a show of eating her remaining fries as slowly as possible.

Kol groaned with his entire body, flailing his head over the back of the seat. “You’re literally the worst person on the entire continent.”

“Do I have competition in Europe, then?” Caroline teased, amused at his antics despite herself.

“Oh, definitely.” Kol lifted his head so she could see his alarmed expression. “My sister lives there.”

“That’s my queue to leave.” Bonnie grabbed her stuff, dropping a few bills on the table. “Enjoy your night, don’t call me if you find yourself passed out in Utah.”

“Oh my god, Bonnie, that was one time!” Caroline exclaimed, even as Bonnie waved cheerily on her way out.

“Are you done now?”

Caroline let out a frustrated sigh. If she didn’t get some alcohol in her system very soon, she might just strangle her roommate.

Damon lived a few miles from the university in a four-bedroom brownstone. Caroline wasn’t sure what he did for a living, but he was loaded and never seemed to actually be very busy. He hung around in bars a lot, from what she could tell, and Stefan had never been able to give her much insight into his brother’s activities, either.

Kol walked through the front door like he owned the place, and Caroline followed.

“Blondie! Kol didn’t tell us you were coming.”

Caroline smiled as venomously as possible in the direction of the black-haired man leaning against the kitchen counter. “That’s because I had little choice in the matter. We all know that’s the only way I would ever willingly step foot into your house, Damon.”

He lifted his tumbler up at her with a smirk. “No night is complete without that unattractive personality of yours.”

“Knock it off, Damon,” came another British voice. “She’ll leave, and you know Kol won’t stop her if it was your fault.”

Caroline sent an appreciative smile at Enzo. “How have you been?”

He came up to hug her. “You know how it is. I had to pull a few all nighters last week to finish a project, but now that that’s done, I’m beyond ready to get plastered tonight.”

“That makes two of us.”

Caroline watched as Kol and Enzo shared a meaningful look. She thought they were being ridiculous, pretending as if none of them could tell what was going on between them. She suspected it might be largely Kol’s fault, since he was about as emotionally vulnerable as a brick wall. Enzo, on the other hand, wore his heart on his sleeve, and Caroline couldn’t help but wish he’d go after someone who could love him properly.

“Drinks?” Damon’s annoying voice cut through the tension, and Caroline accepted the drink he handed her. Despite his magnitude of flaws, Caroline could appreciate his skill with a shot glass. “Is Elena coming?”

He tried to be nonchalant in his question, but Caroline saw right through it. “I doubt it. Is Stefan here?”

He glared at her, and she smirked. It was a complicated situation. Elena had dated Stefan in high school, only to find that they were hardly compatible in college. The breakup had hurt Stefan the most, and it had taken him nearly a year before he could move on. They were on better terms now, but Elena was still hesitant to tell him about whatever was going on with her and Damon. Caroline’s inner drama queen couldn’t help but get a thrill out of the entire thing.

“Leave the poor guy alone, Care, he’s hardly trained to handle you.” Kol’s arm slung over her shoulder, pulling her in the direction of the living room. Damon followed them.

Enzo was in a deep discussion with Alaric, Damon’s best friend and apparent co-worker (though what work they did, Caroline was still very curious about). Alaric nodded in their direction, but otherwise ignored them.

Caroline sat next to Kol on a loveseat as Damon went to fiddle with the music.

“Nothing going on, huh?” Caroline muttered under her breath, sipping at her drink. It was strong and sweet, and slid down her throat with just the right amount of burn.

Kol pinched her in the side, then grinned as she let out a small sound of protest. He never played fair, so Caroline had no issue with grabbing an ice cube from her drink and quickly sliding it down the back of his neck.

Kol arched his back away from the sudden cold, and Caroline laughed at his expression. He stuck his tongue out at her, grabbing the ice cube when it reached the bottom of his spine, and dropped it back into her drink. “You lost something.”

“Gross!” Caroline exclaimed. “Kol, you’re such a pig!”

“If you make another mess in my house, you’re staying behind to clean it up,” Damon warned from where he was still crouched next to the speakers.

“She started it,” Kol grumbled.

Caroline caught Enzo’s gaze lingering on her roommate’s pout, a fond expression on his face. She shared a glance with Alaric, who rolled his eyes. She laughed and downed the rest of her drink, Kol’s nasty back sweat be damned. Now that she was here, she might as well make the most of it.

The karaoke bar was packed by the time they got there. A very drunk girl was crooning into the microphone, not hitting very many right notes, or lyrics, for that matter. Caroline was feeling slightly buzzed, but not nearly enough for her taste.

Damon and Alaric headed to the bar by unspoken agreement to procure drinks for all of them, while Caroline was left to trail behind Kol and Enzo as they squeezed their way to an apparent empty table, though Caroline was already preparing herself for standing pressed against the wall for the remainder of the night.

Caroline could see Kol’s hand wrap around Enzo’s, and she wondered if he thought they wouldn’t be able to see in the dim lighting, or if he was just tipsy enough not to care. Even though she was invited for the sole purpose of creating a barrier between them, she was suddenly struck with the thought that she was rapidly heading in the third wheeling direction.

Miraculously, they managed to score an empty table. Caroline strategically placed herself against the wall across from Kol and Enzo, since she knew that Damon always tended to sit on the end, and that would ensure her a seat next to Alaric instead.

“How are your classes coming along, Gorgeous?” Enzo asked.

Caroline leaned forward so he could hear her better. She launched into a discussion of her favourite classes, with Kol chipping in now and then with his opinion. They had more overlap than she would have expected, and he made for a great source of information and opinions when she was stuck.

Enzo was full of questions, and she was just explaining the direction she planned to take for her playwright assignment when Damon and Alaric returned. They unloaded several beers, as well as trays of tequila and Jägermeister.

Damon distributed the shots, then raised his own glass. “To Enzo, for being the sanest motherfucker at this entire table.”

They drank, and then they drank some more, and Caroline was finally starting to feel her concerns melt away.

“You promised me a duet.” She pointed an accusing finger at Kol, who grinned back with an enthusiastic nod. She climbed over Alaric and Damon, twisting Damon’s nipple when he touched her ass on the way out. He flinched, and she smirked.

Kol grabbed her hand, tugging her to the stage.

“Ballad or dance tune?” he asked.

They ended up doing the saddest ballad they could find, adding a melodramatic enactment of a woman killing herself in reaction to a ripped dress. It was clear that the rest of the bar’s patrons didn’t appreciate their sense of humour, but Caroline was laughing almost uncontrollably, and she had her best friend by her side, so everything was good.

They went to a different club after that since Caroline felt like dancing on the tables. It was just as much fun, and by the time they were thrown out at closing time, all five of them were sweaty and chatty and hungry.

“Can we get Drum fries?” Caroline pleaded, hanging onto Kol’s arm. His hair was standing every which way, making him look a little manic with the way his eyes refused to focus on anything properly. Enzo was on his other side and they weren’t touching, but the lingering looks they shot in each other’s direction made Caroline suspect that she might have an extra roommate for the night.

“Those things are poison,” Damon commented.

“And the gallon of alcohol you inhale on a daily basis is so healthy?” she sniped back.

“I need to get home,” Alaric said. “Work in the morning.”

“We can share a cab, since I’d really rather not subject myself to The Drum at this hour.”

Then it was just the three of them, and Caroline was just sober enough to recognise her third wheeling status but drunk enough not to really care.

The Drum was quiet, as it usually was at three in the morning. There were a few students with laptops in the corner, coffee cups piled in front of them as they pulled a frantic all nighter. A single tired looking waitress sat behind the counter, flicking through a fashion magazine and snapping her gum every couple of seconds.

“I’ll go order if you want to grab a table,” Kol offered.

Caroline and Enzo sat down, and she leaned against the wall.

“Are you having a good birthday?”

Enzo nodded, propping up his chin on his hand, his elbow on the table. “Thanks for coming along. I know you didn’t really want to, but I like you.”

“I like you too. Maybe we could hang out more often if you traded in your friends for some more tolerable ones.” She grinned cheekily.

Enzo laughed. “They tend to grow on a person if you make the mistake of sticking around for too long, and then it’s nearly impossible to shake them.”

Caroline was about to make a remark about a fungus when she felt something vibrating against her side. She dug through her bag only to come up with Kol’s phone.

She frowned at the name displayed on the screen, then looked up at where Kol was still talking to the waitress. She tried to imagine why someone you didn’t really talk to would call at this time, and every single scenario she could come up with was negative. She made a split decision, then answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“I need to speak with Kol.” The voice on the other side was cool, calculated and British.

“This is his phone. Can I take a message?”

“Who is this?” She recognised the same impatient tilt to the stranger’s voice that Kol would sometimes get if she pushed him just a hair too far.

“I’m his roommate.”

“Is he there?”

Caroline watched Kol walk back to their table. He frowned questioningly when he saw his phone pressed to her ear, and she shrugged.

“He’s here.”

“Let me speak to my brother, please.”

Something in his tone did wonders to sober Caroline up, and she handed the phone to Kol. He took one look at the caller ID and his face contracted, shaking something loose in the part of Caroline that wanted to grab everyone she loved and keep them somewhere safe.

She stood, squeezing Kol’s shoulder as she passed him. The waitress gave her a blank look when she approached.

“What did my friend order earlier?”

“Only fries,” she drawled.

“Alright. Can I get three double espressos and three glasses of water to go along with it?”

After paying and waiting for the girl to fill three glasses from the tap, Caroline headed back to their table. Kol was sitting in the next booth over, his hand covering his face. She placed two glasses on their table, sliding one over to Enzo who looked even more concerned and confused than she was feeling.

She forced herself in next to Kol, placing his glass in front of him. They all needed to sober up rapidly, if the way he hid his face in her shoulder was any indication.

Going out on a whim, Caroline pried his phone from his shaking fingers. She wrapped one arm around him to keep him close, then pressed the phone to her own ear.

“This is Caroline again,” she said, cutting off the voice that was still speaking. “I’m going to be very honest, we’re all a little drunk right now. I’m trying to sober everyone up but it’s probably going to be a while before Kol is back to business. Can you call back in a few hours so I can get him home and into bed?”

She heard a huff. “Fine. Are you all safe?”

“Yes, we’re not even a mile from the apartment.”

“Very well.” Elijah cleared his throat. “Get him home. Have him call me in the morning.”

He hung up, and Caroline returned her attention to Kol. He’d stopped shaking for the most part but was instead staring in front of him without really seeing anything.

“Kol?”

He blinked slowly up at her, something she’d never seen before in his eyes.

“I need to call Nik,” he rasped out, moving to sit up. She pushed him back down.

“No, what you need right now is to drink water and eat something, then sleep for a while. Elijah will still be there in the morning, and you’ll be much better equipped at handling it.” She pushed the water into his hands and he reluctantly took it. “Drink.”

She watched him down the entire thing, then shake his head as if to clear it.

“Fuck, I’m too drunk for this.” He shifted slightly away from her so he could sit up straight, his hands digging into his hair and tugging. “Fuck.”

“Yeah, I’m working on it.”

The lone waitress showed up then with their coffee and fries. She placed it on the table in front of them and Caroline smiled weakly at her. Enzo stood so he could join them in the next booth over, handing Caroline her water. She drank it down quickly, her mind already making lists of what she needed to do to help Kol.

“What’s going on?” Enzo asked quietly.

Kol barely even looked at him, stirring sugar into his coffee. “Fuck,” he muttered again, then shot back the coffee in two sips. “Fuck.”

Caroline had never really noticed before, but Kol rarely swore. Hearing him resort to profanity made her feel more out of control than she’d ever been before.

“Eat.” She pushed the fries closer to him, grabbing a few for herself. “We can’t do anything until we sober up.”

They ate quietly. Caroline could feel herself regain control with every bite, and she could see some colour return to Kol’s face. When they were done, he gestured for her to stand up.

“I want to go home,” he muttered as he passed her. He still hadn’t even looked at Enzo.

Caroline shot Enzo an empathetic look. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged, concerned eyes flicking back to Kol. He looked helpless, and Caroline wanted to hug him, so she did.

“I’ll call you once I know anything, okay?” she whispered, and he nodded against her shoulder.

Kol was quiet all the way home, the only sign that something was wrong in the clench of his fingers around hers.

She unlocked the door, flicking on lights as she went. She dragged Kol upstairs, then bundled him down into bed. He toed off his shoes but struggled with his belt as his fingers scrambled for purchase. He made a noise of frustration, and Caroline took pity on him.

Once he was out of his jeans, she pulled the covers over his shoulders. “Get some sleep.”

“My dad is dead, Care.”

Caroline’s heart skipped a beat.

“What?”

“Elijah said he was murdered last night.”

Caroline had picked up a few details about Kol’s family over the years. Enough to know that his relationship with his father was strained, but not irreparably broken. Things were a lot worse for his siblings, even though Caroline didn’t know exactly why. She knew enough to know that Kol was going to feel the loss in a different way than his brothers and sister would, and he was going to need her.

She knew all about shitty fathers who still left you feeling empty when they finally shoved it.

“I’m so sorry, Kol.”

He closed his eyes, and she was just about to leave when he spoke again. “Stay. Please.”

Caroline could hardly deny him anything, so she took off her own shoes and slid in behind him. He gripped her hand, hard.

It was a while before his grip loosened and he finally fell asleep.

***

Caroline woke up to loud yelling coming from downstairs. She found herself in Kol’s room, still wearing her clothes from the night before. She had a raging headache and it felt like she was about to vomit out her lungs.

She barely made it to the toilet, emptying the contents of her stomach in a few violent heaves. When she was sure there was nothing left, she coughed weakly, pressing the back of her hand against her mouth and squeezing her eyes tightly shut to fight off another wave of nausea.

“Caroline.”

She took a deep breath, then opened her eyes. Kol was leaning against the doorway, looking just as shitty as she felt. His eyes were rimmed with red.

“Do you feel better?” he asked.

Caroline would laugh, but she was afraid of sending stomach acid spraying over Kol’s bare feet. “Not really.” Her voice was raw and raspy, and she weakly cleared her throat.

Kol sunk down so he was mirroring her position on the floor. “Thanks for last night. I’ve never been gladder of forcing you into anything.”

Caroline frowned. “Right now, I hate you quite a bit.”

“So, my brother is coming to stay for a while.” Kol’s abrupt change of subject caught her of guard, but she took it in stride.

“Elijah?”

“No.”

“Oh.” She shifted, reaching up to flush the toilet. “Why?”

“Nik is a little temperamental. Elijah reckons he’s going to need a babysitter in the next while.”

“And that has to be you – why? I thought you guys didn’t really get along.”

Kol snorted, and it was the closest to a glimpse of his regular self that Caroline had seen all morning. “That would be the understatement of the century. Elijah needs to sort out all Mikael’s estates and make funeral arrangements and all that oldest sibling bullshit. Plus there’s an ongoing investigation that Nik will inevitably try to meddle in if not thoroughly distracted and out of the way.”

“And you think Nik’s going to be cool with the idea of being babysat?”

Kol rubbed at his brow with a thumb. “No. But Elijah is exceptional at manipulating our brother, so I have no doubt that he’ll figure out a way to get him on board.”

“What exactly do you think he’ll do if you don’t watch him?”

Kol turned his head to look at her, blue eyes still rimmed with traces of smudged eyeliner. “You have to understand that Nik has a lot of issues, Caroline. He has a ridiculous temper that he manages to control with an iron fist, but at the same time it burns through his entire being. Mikael hated him so much, and for some reason Nik spent his entire life just taking all the abuse without making a sound.

“Elijah reckons something happened that we don’t know about to piss Mikael off, and that Nik felt so guilty about it that he somehow convinced himself he deserved what he got. I have no doubt that he’s at least partly glad about Mikael’s death, and that’s not going to sit well with him. He can be very intense when it comes to his family.”

“And your sister?”

Kol shrugged. “She’ll probably come home for the funeral. If she’ll stay is a different story. She’s always been very close to Nik, so she might if he needs her.” He sighed. “Speaking of, I need to buy a plane ticket.”

Caroline rubbed at her face. “How are you dealing with all of this so casually? I feel like I’m going to die and melt right into the tiles and you’ll be scrubbing for days to get rid of the stain.”

Kol snickered. “This, right now? This is the easy part. Once my siblings show up, everything always goes to shit.”

“That’s probably a little dramatic.”

“Nope.” Kol stood. “I’m making breakfast. Do you want bacon?”

Kol was gone for four days. Caroline spent the time studying, cleaning and bugging her friends.

“Caroline, I swear I will staple your fingers to the table if you don’t stop tapping them like that.” Bonnie’s glare was sharp enough to halt Caroline in the middle of a sentence.

“If you don’t like the way I work, don’t invite me to the library with you,” Caroline snapped, the frustration creeping up on her.

“You seem more anxious than usual.”

Caroline sighed. “Sorry, I’m a little tense.”

“Do you know when Kol’s coming back?”

“No, and it’s stressing me out because I have no idea what to expect from his brother, who apparently is going to be living on our couch for the foreseeable future. Also, I’m freaking out about this screenplay because it might be entirely shit and I have no way to know.” She dug her fingers along her sculp, barely resisting the urge to pull at her hair.

“Do you want me to read it?” Bonnie asked, her pen hovering in place.

“No, it’s humiliating.”

Bonnie blinked at her. “If you don’t want my help, stop fidgeting.”

“Sorry.” Caroline sat back in her seat, taking a deep breath. She let her gaze roam over Bonnie’s shoulder at the random spattering of people moving about, all caught up in their work. They all seemed so calm, and she wondered how they managed it.

Bonnie’s pen scratched against paper, and Caroline let herself zone out for a bit. It grounded her, soothing her nerves just the smallest bit.

She spotted a familiar face walk through the door, earbuds standing out starkly against his tanned skin. He almost walked past them, caught up in his thoughts. Caroline lifted her hand in a wave, and his eyes flicked in her direction. She could tell the moment he recognised her, and then Enzo was smiling and walking towards them.

Caroline kicked out the extra chair next to her and he sat down, pulling his earbuds from his ears. Bonnie looked up with a frown, obviously upset at having her study time interrupted.

“Hello, Gorgeous.”

“Enzo,” she greeted back with a smirk. “Have you met Bonnie?”

Enzo acknowledge Bonnie with a nod, then turned his attention back to Caroline.

“Have you heard from Kol?”

Caroline felt sorry for him, since there really was no persuading Kol of anything if he wasn’t feeling up to it. “Not exactly. I’m sorry.”

Enzo sighed. “It’s fine, he’s not your responsibility. If he wants to be a dick and ignore my calls, it’s all on him.”

“So, I think this morning was the first time I’ve felt back to normal since Monday,” Caroline changed the subject. “Remind me never to accept any alcohol from Damon ever again.”

Enzo barked out a laugh. “You say that every time.”

“She never means it,” Bonnie piped up, abandoning her pencil with a longing glance. “If you’re not going to let me study in peace, can we at least have a milkshake to go along with it?

***

_Gone 2 shop. Need anything?_

Caroline stared at the text message. It could really only mean one thing if Kol was asking for a grocery list.

She called him.

“Caroline,” he greeted, his voice strangely formal. “Did you get my text?”

“Yes, you dick,” she continued her walk down the sidewalk. “I’ve missed you.”

He sighed. “Me too. Do you need anything from the shops?”

It was odd. He never acted this distant with her, and it was starting to worry her. She put it down to jetlag and grief.

“Milk, maybe, and Vanilla Chai. Are you picking up food on the way home?”

“You finished my tea?” There it was, a spark of indignation. It was better than the clipped, faraway tone he’d been using before.

“Hardly, you have a hundred other boxes to pick from. I just like that particular kind.”

She heard rustling and a voice talking in the background. Kol took the phone away from his ear so she couldn’t hear his muffled reply. She used the opportunity to unlock the gate from the alley, since it required both hands to wiggle the lock in a certain way.

When she had the phone back to her own ear, she caught the tail end of his sentence.

“Sorry, had to open the gate real quick. What was that?”

“I said we’d pick up Subway. Are you home already?”

“Yes, Bonnie and Enzo ditched me since they have much better luck concentrating than I do.” She rounded the corner. “Which reminds me, could you look over my script? The whole thing is a disaster and I want to burn it.”

Caroline expected a comment about raging bonfires and how they would make a whole Thing about it if she was so keen on burning her work. The short “Sure” she received instead made her frown.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked bluntly.

“Nothing. I’ll see you soon.”

He hung up, leaving her with more questions than she’d had when she’d called him.


End file.
